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Monday, June 4, 2007
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom
sports@michigandaiy.com
734-764-8585
Loss
keeps
Blue in
Tenn.
By ANDY REID
Daily Sports Writer
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Everyone
told the Michigan baseball team
it didn't
belong in VANDERBILT 10
the same MICHIGAN 7
Regional as
top overall seed Vanderbilt.
The Wolverines had to sit idly
by as a media circus "literally" fol-
lowed the Commodores and their
star, NCAA player of the year pitcher
David Price.
But every one of the 3,500
plus black-and-gold clad Vander-
bilt enthusiasts that packed into
Hawkins Field were surprised to see
that their Commodores were not the
squad that took control of the Nash-
ville Regional.
The Wolverines, guided by big bats
and inspired pitching, fought their
way to a 10-7 win over Memphis and
a nail-biting 4-3 victory over Van-
derbilt before finally succumbing to
the Commodores, the nation's top-
ranked team, Sunday night 10-7.
With a win last night, Michigan
could have secured its first Regional
championship since 1984 and a spot
in a Super Regional next weekend.
Instead, the Wolverines will square
off with Vanderbilt again tomor-
row night at 7 p.m. Since both teams
already have a loss in the double-
elimination tournament, the Region-
al title will go to whichever wins the
game.
Last night, Michigan's struggles
began early when senior pitcher
Andrew Hess couldn't close out
the second inning. The Commo-
dore offense exploded for a seven-
'M'-Nine topples
top-ranked Vandy
By ANDY REID tandem in the nation.
Daily Sports Writer Minor completely stifled
the Michigan offense for most
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - If of the game. The Wolverines
Michigan baseball coach Rich recorded just one hit in the
Malo- _- first five innings. But their
ney MICHIGAN 4 slumbering offense woke up
was a /A VANDERBILT 3 in the sixth inning.
more After loading the bases
feeble man, the last three with two hits and a hit by
weeks may have taken a fatal pitch, junior Nate Recknagel
toll on him. stepped up to the plate. Minor
After all, clinching a regular had baffled Recknagel up to
season Big Ten Title, bowing the sixth, striking him out in
out of the conference tourna- his first two at bats. But the
ment after just two games, first baseman sent a rocket
having to cross your fingers over the rightfielder's head for
and hope for a bid to the NCAA a three-run double.
Tournament and then accept- "It felt like Christmas
ing an invitation to play in an morning," sophomore pitcher
NCAA Regional hosted by the Mike Wilson said. "(Minor)
top overall seed Vanderbilt in had Recknagel's number for
a matter of weeks can cause a the first couple of at bats, but
lot of stress. that's what Reck does. People
But as Maloney always says, don't notice it, but if you get
"That's baseball." In a game of him twice, he's going to get
ups, down, twists and turns, you the third time. He's going
the Wolverines experienced to get you when it counts, and
more than their fair share there's nothing bigger than a
recently, but, according to bases-clearing double."
sophomore Adam Abraham Added Maloney: "It was a
all of that anxiety paid off moment. There are certain
when Michigan pulled off an moments in a game, and that
improbable 4-3 upset of the was definitely one."
Commodores last Saturday The Wolverines also had to
night. subdue the Commodore bat-
"We went through a stretch ting lineup that tallied 10 or
where wins were coming more runs in 21 games this
easy," Abraham said. "We season to that point.
cruised our way to a Big Ten But Wilson didn't let the
Title, and things just kind of big, black-and-gold bats scare
got disoriented for us. We got him.
lazy a little bit and didn't have "I wanted this game, and I
the same passion that had got it," said Wilson, who gave
gotten us all those wins, and up just seven hits in seven
when we got two losses in the innings. "The crowd was elec-
tournament, it rejuvenated us tric. I'm sure there were a lot
a little bit and got us pumped of people worried about how
for this one." I'd respond, but I feed off it. I
"This one" was a crucial really do.
game at Hawkins Field against "When you face a team that
Vanderbilt. Under the bright can beat you one through nine,
lights, Michigan had to face in you just have to contain them.
Mike Minor, the bottom half You can't go in there and think
of arguably the best pitching See BASEBALL, Page 15
Junior Nate Recknagel (left) and senior Andrew Hess (right) couldn't figure out a way to
beat Vanderbilt yesterday. The Wolverines will face the Commodores again tonight.
hit, seven-run inning, led by junior
Brad French's two-RBI single that
dropped into shallow centerfield.
All seven runs were scored before a
single out was tallied by the Michi-
gan defense.
Sophomore Ben Jenzen's reliev-
ing Hess in the second inning was
the start of a wild pitching carousel
for the Wolverines, who used four
pitchers in total. Freshman Eric
Katzman, who had not thrown a
pitch in a game in 25 days, was sent
to the mound to replace Jenzen in the
sixth, and freshman Alan Oaks, who
had pitched just a third of an inning
in his entire career, was called upon
to close out the game.
The shaky pitching opened oppor-
tunities for Vanderbilt all game long.
In total, the Wolverines allowed 10
hits, 10 walks and hit two batters.
"You can't beat the No. 1 team
in the country like that," Michigan
coach Rich Maloney said. "You give
that up and you don't deserve to
win. I mean, we're lucky ... this thing
could've ended up having a football
score."
If the Wolverines want to give
themselves a chance intonight's con-
test, their starting pitching will be
key. Vanderbilt's bullpen is extreme-
ly deep, and Michigan will need
its starting pitcher - most likely
sophomore Chris Fetter - to throw
plenty of pitches to combat the Com-
modores' depth.
"At this point in the season, you
go with what you think in your heart
is the best lineup to win," Maloney
said. "We'll put out the best nine guys
we have. We'll throw the best pitch-
ers we have (tomorrow). It's about
guys making plays. At this point in
the season it's all about whose star is
going to shine."
Michigan will have plenty of
motivation to get up for tomorrow's
game. The Wolverines will be play-
ing for their tournament lives. A win
rewards them with a Super Regional
berth, a loss sends them back to Ann
Arbor, their season completed.